I got to spend a day going through an old building that is slated to be torn down. The building was used for years as a scientific research facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

It was built in the 1960s. I work in the sister building next door. This building was a scientific research laboratory and was used for decades, up until the company merged with another and moved the labs.

Eventually over the course of time, the building and laboratories were moved, and the equipment has been laying dormant ever since.

Some of the equipment is very interesting. these vent pipes are half torn-down in anticipation of being moved elsewhere. This was located in part of a lab that handled various samples.

This is part of a robotic pippetting machine. There were two different lines in this laboratory. Signs warned about not entering the room, however with the line shut down and no parts in place, it's safe for pictures to happen.

This lab on the first floor hadn't been remodeled since the building was built. The canary yellow and stainless steel were in sharp contrast to the more modern labs upstairs.

This one-time laboratory was now a catch-all for storage. Chairs and multiple types of office supplies littered the room. It was out of place with the rest of the surroundings. Many of the buildings were trapped in the late 90s or early 2000s. Most of these office chairs date from around 20 years ago.

Many stairways were dark. The power was only on in certain places in the building. This stairwell in particular was pitch black, whereas others had natural light to illuminate the steps. The halls were still and eerily quiet.

Much of the equipment was left just like it was on the last day someone had been working there. This severely outdated security system still had remnants of office supplies, half-sharpened pencils and a log of all the visitors, up until 10 years ago.

The facilities within the lab were sometimes strange to an outsider. There were locker rooms for employees where they would leave their belongings in exchange for lab coats and protective gear.
The cold storage facility was a giant walk-in freezer made to house thousands of samples. No longer in use, it's so insulated that no sound is produced inside and incredibly claustrophobic.

The building's basement is where the age of the building showed the most. Old pipes creaked, water seeped in at various levels. The "creepy basement" factor was intensified by being completely black in many locations. Only steam in the pipes and slow percussive sounds from creaking beams could be heard. This was the underbelly of the building, its heart was silent and it was ready to go.

The building will come down piece by piece the first two weeks of March and be turned into a green space. Where once a bastion of scientific discovery stood, a new park will be made.